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Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has been slammed for trading edge-rusher Odafe Oweh.

Eric DeCosta didn’t win many plaudits for trading outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. Not when the Baltimore Ravens are short of talent all across an underperforming defense. Nor when the general manager’s recent track record of trying to find skilled pass-rushers leaves a lot to be desired.

DeCosta used a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft to select Oweh, but he was dealt to the Los Angeles Chargers just over four years later with only one season of double-digit sacks to his credit.

While Oweh was caught off guard by the trade, others view the deal as an indictment of DeCosta. Among the critics, Jason La Canfora of Audacy Sports bluntly stated, “When your GM can’t draft pass rush worth a damn and refuses to pay for pass rush you ain’t winning much in the playoffs.”

A similar sentiment was expressed in less forceful fashion by Fox Baltimore’s Morgan Adsit. She pointed out how the “Ravens young drafted edge rushers have been beyond disappointing.”

That’s a common theme among reactions to DeCosta sending Oweh to the AFC West in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and a sixth-round pick in next year’s draft. Unfortunately for DeCosta and the Ravens, the numbers and playing time of prominent edge-rushers support the consensus view.

Eric DeCosta Taking Heat for Odafe Oweh Trade

Graders haven’t been kind to DeCosta for flipping Oweh and a seventh-round choice in 2027 for some safety help. The critics are taking less exception to Gilman’s arrival, compared with underscoring their disappointment in how Oweh never developed as expected.

His struggles are part of a prominent pattern. A sequence of draft misses that also includes 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo, who’s struggled to stay healthy and even been a healthy scratch when available.

Ojabo and Oweh not making the grade has held back the much-needed regeneration of the Ravens’ pass rush. A refresh would be welcome since veteran Kyle Van Noy is 34, while beefy bookend Tavius Robinson is more of an edge-setter against the run.

DeCosta is hoping to solve the problem with another second-round pick, 2025 draft addition Mike Green. So far though, last season’s college football sack leader has yet to register a quarterback takedown and has mustered just two pressures, per Pro Football Reference.

The Ravens still waiting on Green to make good is one more reason why many still think DeCosta took a risk trading Oweh. As ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put it, “they desperately need ambulatory defenders. And this isn’t a lot for a 26-year-old coming off of a 10-sack season.”

DeCosta didn’t fetch much in return for a player with Oweh’s draft status, but the deal still has some positives for the Ravens.

Ravens Can Still Make Trade Work

There are still reasons to believe DeCosta can make trading Oweh work for the Ravens. Both in the short-term and for the long haul.

Taking care of any short-term noise will be easier to do now DeCosta’s added “roughly $8 million” to her resources under the salary cap, per Schefter. That boost to the finances means “the Ravens are now $14,272,690 under the Cap (assuming they didn’t eat any of Oweh’s salary as part of the deal). Some of that will need to be reserved for wkly PS elevations & future injuries, but they’ve def got flexibility for another move(s),” according to the Russell Street Report’s Brian McFarland.

The extra cash represents room to make a move or two, preferably at edge-rusher. Then the decision to trade Oweh will begin to look like smart business from DeCosta.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko

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